Method Actors

As the sun set it cast a warm glow into the dressing room where Ellie was applying the finishing touches to her makeup. This year the main event was being held at an abandoned asylum, the venue had been used for many horror films in the past and was already fitted up with camera’s, decorations, door mechanisms, trap doors and walls and hidden rooms. It was the perfect spot for a haunted attraction. Ellie’s crew were given free rein for costumes this year, they had everything from demented doctors and nurses to crazed patients and even the tortured dead returning for their revenge on those who made them suffer. Ellie was taking the role of head doctor, handy with a blade and far too comfortable with mutilation for the sake of ‘scientific breakthrough’. Her co-worker Jack was taking the role of a needy intern that follows her around and does everything he can in order to win her affection, including dangerous and insane experiments to appease her sadistic nature.

A tall young woman came rushing through the doorway into the room, almost causing Ellie stab herself in the eye with her liner.
“Jesus Christ Lara, don’t do that, I almost blinded myself”. Ellie scolded her as she blinked rapidly.
Lara shrugged as she took a seat, flicking her frazzled blonde hair in the mirror and spraying it to keep it’s bounce.
“Well sooooorrry”. She exclaimed dramatically. “Blame Derek, we were just trying out the dragging around the operating room routine and he damn near ripped my hair out”.
She dabbed at her pearly blue eyes with a tissue, soaking up tears as she tried not to smudge her makeup.
“What?” Ellie exclaimed while applying a metallic red lipstick. “What the hell is he playing at? You were wearing the harness right?” She brushed through her short black wig, tucking her hair net in neatly beneath.
Lara turned her back to Ellie, taking hold of a short rope that was fitted to the harness. “Well duh, he dropped it and started swinging me about by my actual fucking hair”. She turned back to the mirror and touched up her makeup. “Asshole”.
Ellie puckered her lips and checked herself over once more. “Maybe he didn’t realize he’d dropped it, wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened, remember last year when the noose’s safety harness wasn’t tightened properly and Daniel almost died?”
Lara stood up and smoothed out the bloodstained blue gown she wore. “Yeah, well, that was an accident, error from the manufacturing department. This was straight up malicious, he’s been acting weird all week, if he doesn’t get a hold of his temper, I’m going to stab him. And I don’t mean with the fake scalpel”.
Ellie giggled as she stood and straightened out her immaculate white uniform. “Save that for the finale if you have to, or when the scouters come around, that’d be a big hit if they thought we’d take real injuries for the sake of presentation”.
Lara raised her eyebrows at her. “Yeah this is a great job and all but I’m not going prison for it”.
Ellie pouted at her as they left the changing room. “Spoilsport”.
“Have you seen Jack and Sandra? I need to go over our set up”.
Lara shrugged. “I think Jack was getting ready to knock Derek out after he saw me storm off”.
Ellie’s eyes widened. “Shit”. She hobbled along in her 4 inch heels towards the operating room. The sound of shattering glass and metal colliding rang down the halls as Lara followed behind her, giggling as Ellie had to grip the wall to stay upright.
As the room came into view a metal stool crashed through the large window, shortly followed by Jack’s limp form. Ellie and Lara jumped back in shock as Jack rolled towards them, his face bloodied and gashed from the glass. The hulking form of Derek stepped through the broken window, his long blue gown stained with what looked suspiciously like real blood.
Ellie stuck her hands up in an attempt to stop him. “Derek? Derek, calm down, whatever’s happening we can sort it out”.
“Back off Ellie, unless you want to be next”. Derek’s voice was harsh as he snarled at her.
Jack’s voice was strained as he reached up to defend himself. “Get…out of here…get help”.
Lara pulled on Ellie’s arm. “Let’s go, we can’t…”
Derek growled towards them both, interrupting Lara. “You had your chance”.
He kicked Jack in the stomach causing him to cry out and recoil. Producing a gleaming scalpel, he then knelt over Jack’s squirming form and ran the blade across his throat causing a spray of blood to gush out before slowly pooling onto the floor.
Ellie and Lara screamed as Jack’s gargled chokes quickly died off and his body went limp. They began sprinting down the hallway, heading towards the closest exit. After almost snapping her ankle a third time Lara finally dropped to the floor to remove her heels.
“What the FUCK are you doing?” Ellie turned back to her, tears of panic streaming down her face.
Lara grunted as she tried to yank at the straps of the shoes. “What does it look like?”
“HE’S COMING!” Ellie screamed as she sprinted away down the hall.
Lara threw one of the shoes off and began pulling at the other, turning back to see Derek strolling towards her, the scalpel still in his grasp, dripping ruby tears onto the floor.
“Fuck…fuck…for fuck’s sake come off!” A cold sweat ran down her back as the shoe strap snapped. She quickly jumped to her feet, tossing the shoe in Derek’s direction before sprinting barefoot down the same hall Ellie had run down.

The hall seemed to go on forever, each door housing a small glass window reflecting back the flickering lights above, creating imaginary shadows to watch her. Lara hadn’t turned around since she started running but a dead end was fast approaching. She took a glance behind her but saw nothing. The hallway was empty, Derek hadn’t followed her, or if he had he’d gone elsewhere. Lara’s eyes darted back and forth scanning the hallway for a place to hide. She began testing each door but they were locked.
“Shit”. She whispered to herself on the fifth attempt.
“LAAAAAAAA-RA”. Derek’s voice took on a sing-song cadence as he called her name.
Lara froze in place, casting her gaze back down the hall.
“OH LARA, WHERE ARE YOOOOOOU?” The voice called again, followed by the distinct scrape of metal on metal.
“Shit. Shit, shit, shit!” Lara began rushing to all the door handles, shaking them violently until one swung open, allowing her to slip inside. Slowly and quietly, she edged it closed again being careful to not make any sound.
“LAAAAAAARA”. The voice rang again much closer this time. “Come on Lara, I know you came this way”.
Lara searched around the room for a weapon to defend herself with. The room was bare other than a single steel bed, a chair and small ceramic basin. The quiet scraping grew closer every few seconds, now joined by a cheerful whistle echoing through the hallways.
Lara ran to the chair and quietly jammed it under the handle, then waited as the sickening scrape and whistle slowly grew closer.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as the cries of her friend grew silent behind her. Ellie crashed through a side door with so much force she almost sent herself hurtling down the staircase.
“FUCK!” She screamed. Grabbing hold of the railing she launched herself down the steps to the floor below, slamming into the door and knocking another woman off her feet into the wall behind.
“OW! What the fuck Ellie?” The other woman scowled.
“Jess!” Ellie cried out grabbing her shoulders. Jess clambered to her feet, shrugging Ellie’s help away.
“We have to get out of here, where’s everyone else?”
“What?” Jess brushed herself off, smoothing out the tight-fitting skirt of the nurse’s outfit she wore.
“We have to call the police, Derek’s gone insane”. Ellie grabbed Jess’s wrist.
Jess pulled her arm away violently. “Get off me, what the hell are you talking about?”
“JESSICA”! Another voice called out in the distance. They both turned to the newcomer sprinting towards them clutching his arm.
Jess questioned him as he attempted to catch his breath. “David? What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be downstairs with Jen and Mark. Seriously, I’m not covering for you again, Lara blamed me last time when…”
David interrupted her as he checked a gaping hole in his arm which appeared to be bleeding heavily. “We have to get out of here, Mark’s dead and Jennifer just tried to kill me”.
Jess rolled her eyes at him. “No shit, Jen’s the sexy co-nurse who seduces and…”
David threw his arms in front of him and shouted in her face. “IM NOT FUCKING AROUND!”
Jess was about to retaliate but Ellie intervened. “What are you talking about David? What happened with Jen and Mark? What happened to your arm?”
David glanced back, then checked his arm again. “I don’t know. Jennifer and Mark were playing through their scene but Jennifer kept screwing it up then she stormed off, Mark said he assumed she’d gone to the bathroom or something to calm down. Next thing I knew she was behind me screaming like a fucking lunatic! I turned to her and she stabbed me so I smacked her. Not hard, it was just an automatic reaction, you know?”
Ellie jumped in, her face white with fear. “What about Mark? You said mark was dead, where is he?”
David glared at her angrily before continuing. “I was getting to that alright, after I hit her Mark pulled me down to the ground and started yelling at me like I was the one in the wrong…she stabbed me, yet I was the bad guy”.
“Get to the fucking point already”. Jess rolled her eyes again completely oblivious to the evident danger.
David’s eyes practically glowed red, he clenched his fist and began yelling. “Why don’t you shut the FUCK up, how would you like it if I stabbed you between those pretty little ey…”
“DAVID” Ellie screeched at him. “Where is Mark?”
David sighed, gripping his arm as a shooting pain stung deeply. “Fuck…he’s dead…I left him…” He paused for a moment taking another look down the hall. “She stabbed those scissors into his chest and just didn’t stop, she just kept stabbing him and stabbing him and…I ran…I got scared and I ran”.
The three of them stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity until Jess began cackling manically.
“Okay, okay, you got me”. She started walking back down the hall that David had run up earlier. “So, who else is in on this, or is it just you two trying to fuck with everyone before showtime?”
David turned to her and was about to shout but was sent hurtling to the ground as Ellie barged past him sprinting in the same direction Jess had taken quickly, passing her and disappearing out of sight.
“Woah, what the fuck Ellie? You nearly hit me”. Jess shouted behind her before turning back to see David lying on the ground. In the shadow of the stairwell stood a small figure in a bloodied hospital gown, drops of blood dripping from her fingertips. David rolled onto his back to face the grinning figure as she lurched over him.
Jess threw her hands in the air before laughing. “Let me guess, you in on it too?”
The female figure grinned as she approached. David continued trying to back away as Jess laughed in derision of his fearful cries.
“The jigs up Misty, I caught on to your ‘master plan’”. She made dramatic gestures to emphasize her sarcastic tone. “You guys did a great job. I was genuinely a little afraid for a while”.
“St…stay away from me”. David’s voice cracked as he continued fleeing.
Jess shook her head. “Seriously, it’s over, come on, we’ve still got a shit ton of prep to do before tonight, and after these dramatics I’m not doing the grunt work”.
As the newcomer came further into view the shimmer of a surgical saw glinted under the sickly light, the silver reflection dripping rusty droplets onto the floor.
“Misty, seriously, knock it off, we’ve got work to do”.
Jess stopped in her tracks as Misty’s mangled face was illuminated by the hall’s fluorescent lights.
“Holy shit”. Jess whispered.
Misty pounced upon David dragging the saw across his other arm, the serrated edge digging deep into his flesh as he shrieked in agony, both of his arms hanging useless at his sides. She continued to saw into him, dragging through skin, muscle and bone with ease until blood began to openly pump from the missing appendage. David’s cries became more muffled as the blood loss and shock caused his vision to blur. His eyelids blinked rapidly as Misty manouvred the saw through his other shoulder, repeating the same motion as before, his stared blankly rolling up to the ceiling, no longer conscious of what was happening, his body twitching as blood began pouring from his other missing limb.
Jess hadn’t moved, she stared as the scene unfolding before her, Misty’s sickening grin remained as she joyfully moved her hands down David’s body to his legs and began sawing away.
“Daaaaaamn, is this a new set piece we’re doing? This looks so real, oh and David I take back everything I said before about your acting skills, you’re freaking awesome”.
She bent down and picked up one of David’s arms.
“And mad credit to the props team, this arm looks seriously real…Ooh my god it’s actually warm too, how’d you do that?”
Misty made short work of David’s leg and was already half way through the next while Jess was speaking.
“Hey misty look”. She waved David’s arm above her head. “Oooo he’s got an arm off”. Dropping the arm, she burst into hysteric giggles while Misty ripped the final limb off and began sawing at his neck.
Jess’s giggles began to falter as she looked down at David’s limbless corpse. Her face grew pale as she looked down at her friend, his head slowly coming away as the saw continued to slice at the weak flesh.
“M…M…Misty…?” Jess stuttered.
Misty stood in front of her, her grin still wide and malicious, the skin of her face loose as if it were a melted mask that was two sizes too large. The serrated saw, now slick with blood, dripped continuously while David’s head swung by his hair in Misty’s other hand.
She threw the head at Jess who caught it instinctively. His pale dead eyes stared up at her, his tongue lolled to the side of his open jaw, blood continued to slowly leak from this neck onto her clothes.
Jess’s eyes were locked onto David’s as they stared at each other, her mouth making movements but producing no sounds. The head slipped from her grasp as her mind finally caught on to the horror happening around her. Jess’s screams were cut short as Misty’s sadistic laugh overwhelmed all other sound, including the cracking and snapping of Jess’s bones under the force of Misty’s attacks.
Her bones shattered and her face beaten to a bloody pulp, Jess could just barely open her eyes enough to see Misty kneeling atop her, the shine of the serrated saw reflecting the dull lights as it descended upon her. The sharp pain becoming a dull ache as her arm was snapped from its socket and her consciousness faded.

Screams echoed through the room as Tim, Bret and Alexia set up the sound system and animatronic mannequins for the torture rooms that visitors would pass through on their journey through the asylum.
Tim was in charge of the technical side, involving wiring and maintenance of the cameras, sound system and animatronics. Bret was in charge of the set up, getting everything in place for Tim to connect and make alterations to the animatronics. Alexia was in charge of makeup and props, mostly preparing the models and getting everyone’s clothing and SFX makeup done for the events.

“Yo, the looney girl is still really twitchy, I thought you were going to alter the programming?” Bret nudged the animatronic causing it to twitch manically and vibrate across the floor.
Tim looked up from his laptop as the prop slid across the floor in front of him. “Yeah well it’s a bit of a problem, if I lower the speed then the movements become less realistic, at least like this it’s believable that she’s not just a mannequin”.
“Yeah until she vibrates across the floor and some dude picks it up and tries to use it as a sex doll”. Alexia peered up from one of the mannequins she was working.
Tim shook his head and gestured to the corner where she was going to be placed. “Well how about we put chains up and attach it to the wall then, that way it won’t run away”.
“Uhhh huh”. Alexia continued her work no longer paying attention to the doll. “Give all those horny lads with a bondage fetish an easier time, good idea!”
Bret stifled a laugh as he picked the doll up and switched it off. “She’s got a point you know, I mean we could probably have a separate area and charge a fortune for a go on this thing, hell most guys wont get past the five minute mark, that’s like 10 guys an hour! We’d make a weeks wages without having to do anything”.
He imitated humping the doll before putting it back in the corner. Tim and Alexia both looked up from their work in disgust.
“What?” Bret shrugged in confusion.
Alexia shook her head. “You need fucking help dude”.
Tim continued staring at him mouth agape. “What the hell is wrong with you? Don’t you have a girlfriend for Christ sake”.
Bret rolled his eyes and began laughing again. “Come on dude, I’m not saying I’d fuck it, but be honest, there’s plenty of guys out there who want to bang slave Leia, stick a wig on it and a gold bikini and voila”.
Tim was about to say something but contented himself with shaking his head instead. “Okay, you’re officially banned from touching any of the female animatronics. In fact, you’re banned from touching any of them”.
Bret continued laughing. “Now that’s an idea, get a strap on, stick it on the male figures then girls can get in on it as well”. He winked towards Alexia.
She looked up, narrowing her eyes and curling her lip in disgust. “Are you trying to imply I would fuck a sex doll, in the middle of a haunted attraction, while random guys watch?”
Tim began snickering while Bret’s face dropped a shade of colour. “No, no, no that’s not what I meant at all”.
Alexia continued. “What then? Are you saying I can’t get a guy so you’ll do me a favor by strapping a twelve inch on a mannequin so I can get my rocks off?”
Brett’s eyes went wide. “Woah no, no definitely not, it was just a joke… you know…?”
She put a hand up to stop him. “Bret!” His face remained pale as she glowered at him, a blanket of silence fell over the room.
Alexia smiled widely at him. “I’m just fucking with you dude. I’ve got way better toys at home anyway”.
Brett let out a sigh of relief, grasping at his chest while Tim almost fell off his seat in hysterics.
“Right, I’m done here, I’m going to put the finishing touches to my outfit and do my makeup, you guys good?”
Tim nodded. “Yep, my gears all in the other room, just got to finish up here then get changed”.
Brett gave her a finger guns gesture and nodded. “All good, your pristine head surgeon is ready to go, just got to put on the blood packs then I’m done for the first half”.
Alexia pointed a long purple fingernail at him. “Just make sure you don’t burst them early again, remember, you’re supposed to be clean up until the breakout”.
Brett saluted her. “Yes, ma’am won’t happen again”.
Alexia smiled, shaking her head as she left.
Tim began snickering again.
Brett turned to him giving him a questioning glance. “What?”
“She isn’t going to fuck you dude”.
Brett smiled widely. “Shut up, you’re just jealous”.
Tim nodded dramatically rapidly tapping away at the keyboard. “Uhhhhh huh”.
Brett playfully punched his shoulder. “Anyway, come on, we’ve got to sort out the sex doll and calm it’s rampant antics before I get any more excited”.

Alexia slipped into her outfit and zipped it up, the tight fitting gown was designed to tear easily to be revealing throughout the attacks but never actually leave her in the nude. She put on a long black wig that hung just above her waist and frilled it out over her almost bare shoulders. The V neck left very little to the imagination but she knew her part was to get the guys attention to lure them in.
Releasing a long drawn out sigh she flicked the fringe away from her eyes so she could apply the long black eyelashes. As she fluttered her eyelids the fringe repeatedly worked its way over catching on the tips of the lashes.
“Oh, for fuck sake!” She slapped the fringe away just for it to swing back over the lashes again. “Nope, nope, nope, nope, not having it”. She snatched the wig off and replaced it on the mannequin head before grabbing a pair of scissors and trimming it away to a short side fringe. Replacing it on her head she shook it out and turned her head from side to side.
“That’s better”. She brushed the wig out and fitted it correctly again before continuing with her makeup.
When she was finished, final inspections unveiled a small section of her hairline that was partially longer than the rest so she reached out for the scissors again to neaten it up. She blindly grasped at the desk, keeping hold of the stray section of hair but found nothing. Confused she turned to where she’d left them and discovered they were gone. Keeping the hair in her grasp she bent down and grasped with her fingertips along the floor and underneath the desk, again, nothing to be found. As she sat up again a tall imposing figure overshadowed her in the mirror causing her to jolt in her seat out of fear.
“Fucking hell Brett, seriously, don’t do that! You scared the living shi…”
The figure grasped the back of her neck and smashed her face into the mirror shattering the glass panel and lodging multiple shards into her skin. Pulling her head back revealed a large wedge protruding just above her eyeball as it flicked back and forth trying to gain sight of her attacker. Many smaller shards had gouged her skin, allowing small trickles of blood to flow down her face. Her senses returned to her just long enough to let out a small scream before her attacker wrapped a chain like wire around her open mouth, slicing through her cheeks as she struggled to fight back, her hands grasping aimlessly at the desk. The wire sliced back and forth until she could feel it tighten against the back of her throat, her lower jaw hanging loose as she went into shock. A hand hovered towards the glass protruding from her eye socket before slowly pressing against it, the force pushing the back of her eyeball until she felt the sensation of it sliding out and dangling into her open jaw. The double view of both the lights of the ceiling and down her own throat caused her to pass out, her mind casting a dark shadow until she lost all consciousness.

“How’s that?” Tim called from behind his laptop.
“Nah still going apeshit, like the other one”. Brett called back, attempting to reposition one of the aerial animatronics in the cage above.
“I don’t get it, they’re all running on the same circuit, yet the ones in the lower halls and operating rooms were fine. It’s just these three rooms”. Tim furiously began tapping away at the keyboard again.
“Not a clue, but we’ve either got to have a bunch of insanely twitchy patients or sluggish ones, not really much else for it”. Brett began climbing down from the ladder to return to Tim.
Tim slapped his hands over his head in frustration. “We can keep the ones that are in the cages slow, they shouldn’t be as noticeable, and the guys and girls in the bed can be as hyperactive as they want, I mean you’re strapped to a table, you’re gonna be going nuts”.
“Damn straight”. Brett let out a soft laugh.
“It’s this damn girl here and the two guys in the holding room, people are going to be approaching them, if they’re too slow it loses the fear, if they’re too fast they’re just a joke like our sex doll here”. He gestured to the female animatronic in the corner of the room.
“Alright, alright, just chill out, we can sort it. Everything else works, it’s just these three and if all else fails we can replace them with some actors instead, no sweat”. Brett tried to reassure him.
Tim sighed defeated. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’m gonna go see about the other two, see if I can figure anything out with the sockets or something. Maybe it’s just the old wiring that’s making it all go haywire.
Brett patted him on the back. “That’s the spirit. I’m gonna go get kitted out and check on Alexia, see if she’ll give my makeup a little spruce up before we open”. He sauntered out the door as it slowly swung shut behind him.
“SHE’S NOT GONNA SLEEP WITH YOU”. Tim called out as he collected his equipment and followed behind to inspect the other animatronics.

Tim proceeded into the furthest room down the hall where the two ‘special cases’ were being housed in the padded cells. The first was to remain in the corner of the room rocking back and forth making whimpering sounds while one of the actresses ran around the room in a straitjacket. In the other room the patient was to be tied down on a bed while trying to escape, the assigned actor would then have to ‘restrain’ the animatronic as it broke free from its bonds and attempt to attack the actor playing the part of a nurse.
He approached the rocking patient first and began tweaking the motors, testing them, repeating the cycle over and over to no avail, growing more and more frustrated with each failure.
“FUCK!” He raged, lashing out and smashing the animatronics head against the padded wall where it bounced harmlessly against the soft spongey material. “Fuck it, they can keep an eye on it themselves”.
He stormed out of the room leaving the patient hanging loosely from its shackles as he proceeded to the next room.
Already overly frustrated, he began aggressively removing panels from the operating table that housed the majority of the wiring and motors that allowed for the patient to move freely. He repeated the same cycle as before, testing the motors and cycling them through their test phases. While he was altering the motor, the free arm suddenly began swinging violently, striking the back of his skull with a hard metallic crack. He fell forwards from the strike, his forehead colliding with the large motor beneath the table creating a deep bloody wound. Another strike to his spine caused him to jolt upwards, the back of his skull hitting the motor and causing it to tangle with his hair. The impact caused him to waver for a few seconds as the fuzz cleared from his vision, the motor continued clicking above him, slowly pulling his head upwards. His mind shocked him back into action as he realized what was happening. He slammed his hand into the red emergency stop button that was in place for the protection of the actor but the pulling sensation continued, he could feel small strands of his hair being slowly ripped out as loose hanging cables brushed the back of his neck. He slammed the button again and again crying out for help but still the motors continued. Reaching around he began trying to rip the cables from the machine, the distinct clicking noise of the cables sparking gave him a moment of excitement, he gripped the cable and pulled it downwards as hard as he could. The cable ripped from the machine sparking brightly as a large current shot through his body from the cables that were brushing his neckline. His body went limp as the motor cranked violently, the arm of the patient swinging more rapidly and violently pummeling Tim’s twitching body that slumped on the soft padded floor. The motor whirred and jittered as the hair and skin of Tim’s skull tangled inside, spraying blood across the pristine white room.

As the motor slowed to a halt, the patients arm hung loose from the table resting on Tim’s still body, the bright light above switched off, bathing the room in inky blackness as the door slowly closed with a long worn out creak.
The gentle patter of feet in the hall was joined by the singing of a sweet delicate voice fading into the darkness.